Leader Describes Unity as Overriding Priority in Muslim World

TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei placed great emphasis on the issue of unity in the Islamic world in the present era, and warned that the enemies have zeroed in on sowing discord among the Muslim people.

“Today, unity is the most important issue in the Islamic world,” Ayatollah Khamenei said, addressing a gathering of Iranian officials and foreign participants in the International Islamic Unity Conference in Tehran on Sunday.

The Leader also called on the whole followers of Islam to confront any factor that might undermine unity in the Muslim world, and said, “The political, scientific and religious elites have a heavy duty to create unity in the Islamic societies.”

Ayatollah Khamenei urged the Muslim pundits to invite the Islamic nations to avoid sectarian and religious strife, and called on the academic scholars to enlighten the university students on the significance of the Islamic goals.

The Leader further described enemies’ plots to block the prosperity of Muslims as “complicated and multi-dimensional”, and added, “Creating rift among Muslims is the main axis of the arrogance’s plot.”

Pointing to the growing threat posed by the Takfiri (extremist) groups to the Islamic world, Ayatollah Khamenei urged the Islamic nations to remain vigilant in the face of that “major threat”.

“Unfortunately, some Muslim governments are heedless of the consequences of supports for this (Takfiri) stream, and do not realize that the same fire (Takfiri current) will burn all of them as well.”

The Supreme Leader further said enemies of Islam are attempting to divert attention from the issue of Palestine, warning that the enemies aim to trigger civil wars in the Muslim countries, to aggravate rifts and to promote Takfiri and extremist beliefs in order to achieve their vicious purpose.

The Leader then argued that the Takfiri groups benefit from the financial and military backing of the security services of the arrogant powers and their proxies.

The growing trend in religious differences among Muslims and internal skirmish in the Islamic nations over the past few years has been indeed the global tyrants’ reaction to a surge in the Islamic awakening movements, the Leader explained.